SEPTEMBER 1, 2013    

As usual, the summer is flying by and it's already September. I'll again be a part of two of Gary Diggins' Big Beat celebrations coming up this month, and there is another Lovefest happening in Kitchener in October. See details below. 

Something I'd like to tell you about - I'm involved with a group who are building an intentional community in Guelph - a place where we can live in an environment of shared values. If you are interested in such a thing and you'd like to know more about it, please feel free to contact me. 

If you'd like to access past newsletters containing articles on the Big Shift, as well as articles on the Physics of Mysticism, Magic, the Power of Mantra and other topics, please visit the 'newsletter' page of my website: 

 whyislife.com

PART 1 - WHAT IS A MYSTIC?

 by Dennis Gaumond 

A mystic may or may not belong to an organized religion. In either case, a true mystic is not interested in dogma, but is concerned with developing an inner knowledge rather than a dependence on the interpretations of others.  A mystic is someone who acquires insight into the mysteries of existence by direct access to the divine pool of energy/information. This access is usually achieved by entering some altered state of consciousness, which transcends normal methods of perception. It largely bypasses rational thought and information is gained by using the more intuitive parts of the mind. In this sense, it is almost the opposite of science. Although intuition may play a part in the scientific process, all information must then be tested in a rational way before it is taken seriously. Mystical information, on the other hand, is taken seriously by mystics because they are usually in a state of bliss, a state whereby something at the very core of their being is telling them that what they are witnessing is closer to the truth than what is witnessed in normal consciousness.

This sense of certainty gets reinforced when such information turns out to be very similar to the information of other mystics. Eventually a large body of mystical information accumulates in any given culture, which can then be compared to the accumulations of other cultures with whom there may have been no contact. When such comparisons are made, it is found that a great deal of the observations made by mystics all over the world, at different points in history, are very similar. In this way even non-mystics begin to take this body of information seriously, especially if it resonates with their own intuitive sense. Nowadays even scientifically minded people are tending to lend more credence to mystical knowledge because the observations of science, with its rigorous methodology, is beginning to agree with the observations of mystics dating back to antiquity. Before discussing these similarities with modern science, this chapter will take a brief look at some of this mystical information as it pertains to this book.

Most of the mystical information we'll be looking at comes from the eastern philosophies. Although the west has had its share of mystics, the east has produced huge volumes of such information that goes much further back in time. This is probably because the eastern cultures were developing these philosophies back in a time when the intuitive, right-brained type of mentality was much more valued. The west has come of age during a time when the more rational, left-brained logic predominated. Having said this, it is important to emphasize that all religions have a mystical core, a body of wisdom which initially informed the rituals and doctrine which have come to define each religion. I think it is safe to say that many of these religions have deviated or strayed from this wisdom. Most of the organizations built around the world's religions have motives that are largely political and one is just as likely to find eastern religions deeply encumbered by dogma, questionable regulations and mindless ritual. This series of essays will not address these controversies, but will offer a brief overview of the mystical information that underlies the major religious traditions. Although we'll be focusing mostly on eastern philosophy, we'll also take a look at the mystical traditions of Judaism (the Qabala), Islam (Sufism), Christianity, the mystery schools of Egypt and Greece as well as various indigenous, shamanic traditions throughout the world.

Next month's article will look at the mystical underpinnings of Hinduism, including the information that comes from the ancient Tantric texts.